What is the FEC?

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency whose purpose is to disclose campaign finance information, to enforce the limits and prohibitions on contributions, and to oversee the public funding of Presidential elections. The FEC was established by a provision in the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act. This commission is comprised of six members who are appointed by the president and approved by the Unites States Senate. Each member serves a six year term length. To avoid partisanship, it is required that no more than three members of the FEC are from any political party, and at least four votes are required to pass any official committee action. For most groups, the FEC records the name and home address of every donor who contributes more than $200 to a political campaign. The only exception to this rule are the members of a 501(c)(4) group. This special group does not have to submit the personal information of its donors to the FEC, and has been considered a significant loophole in campaign finance regulation.